Apparatus for delivering glass.



PatentedMar. Il, |902.

W. D. KEYES. APPARATUS FR DELIVERING GLASS.

(Application filed Aug. 27. 1900) .Ill |||I IIIIII..L

(No Model.)

ma Nonms versus un. wowmwn.. vusummn, n, a;v

fllNITi-in Sra-rus Farrar rufen.

.VASHINGTON-D. KEYES, OF KITTANNNG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 695,156, dated March11, 1902. Application tiled August 27, 1900. Serial No. 28,138. (Nomodel.)

.T0 @ZZ whom t 11i/Cty concern:

Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON D. KEYES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kittanning, in the county of Armstrong and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements 'in Apparatusfor Delivering Glass, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the removal of molten glass from a tank orother furnace and its delivery for working, as to a casting-table.

The object of the invention is to provide apparatus for effecting thedirect transfer and delivery of glass from the reducing and reliningapparatus to the casting-table, thereby doing away with the portablelining -pots universally used in the manufacture of plateglass. In thepreparation of glass as now practiced the batch is melted and relinedinA one and the same pot, or it is reduced to molten state in amelting-tank and drawn off into pots and refined by placing the pots ina iining oven or furnace. When by either process the glass is in propercondition, it is poured from the pots onto the casting-table. These oldmethods of manufacture are indirect and necessitate the employment offragile and expensive apparatus. However, as before stated, pots areuniversally used, as prior to my invention no adequate mechanism hasbeen devised for removing and delivering the glass which did not soagitate it as to render it unfit for working. My improved apparatusobviates these difficulties and at thesame time increases the productionbyeffecting a direct transfer or delivery of the glass without undueagitation.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated apparatus constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section, theposition of the ladle just before lling being shown in solid lines andthe position thereof over the casting-table before discharging shown indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan View of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 illustratethe movement of the ladle within the refining end of the tank.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is the meltingtank, 3 the refining end orcompartment thereof, and 4. the floats.

5 represents elevated tracks at the front and outside of compartment 3and extending transversely-thereof, and G is .a crane movable on thetracks. Mounted on the crane is trolley 7, which carries the twohydraulic or other cylinders 8, to which actuating iiuid may be suppliedin any suitable manner.

9 represents piston-rods depending from the cylinders. At the lower endsof the rods are bearing-collars 10, in which is rotatably mounted thehorizontally-elongated bar 1l, provided at one end with handles 12 andat the opposite end carrying ladle 13. The ladle is elongated andsemicylindrical in shape, with its end walls secured on bar 1l, whichextends therethrough, and its body portion curved concentrically to saidbar. The ladle Vis formed of thin metal and its longitudinal edges formcutting edges, the advancing edge entering the molten glass when theladle is turned in the operating of filling without disturbing ordisplacing the glass While turning therein,"owing to its concentricshape. The stroke of the two piston-rods is identical and in extentcorresponds to the radius of the ladle. The ladle is introduced throughopening 3 into compartment 3 in inverted position, with bar 11 inlowermost position and just clearing the bottom of opening 3', all asshown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3. With the ladle thus positionedover float or skimmer 14. bar 11 iswslowly rotated, and the ladle isthus turned concentrically into the refined glass, as shown in dottedlines in Fig.. 3, and the movement is continued until the ladle reachesan upright position, (shown in full lines in Fig. 4,) when it is filled.Pistons 9 are then moved to the upward limit of their movement orstroke, lifting the bar 11 and ladle to position shown'in dotted linesin Fig. 4. The ladle is then withdrawn, the trolley moving outward overthe crane. The latter is then moved, carrying the ladle laterally overthe casting-table 15, when the ladle is again lowered, the piston-rodsmoving' downward the limit of their movement, thus positioning the ladleas close as Vis practicable to the table, and thereby minimizing thedrop of glass thereon when discharged by a gradual rotation of bar 11and the ladle. The inverted ladle is then raised and righted, and thecrane is moved backward to original or charging position. The trolleyisthen moved IOC) to position the ladle over Water-bath l6,when the ladleis again lowered and immersed in the bath by being given a completerotation, thus thoroughly cleansing it of any glass that may haveadhered thereto from the previous operation and preparing it for thenext dipping operation. The ladle is then moved intorefining-compartment 3, being in lowered and inverted position ready forthe next filling or charging operation. y

The ladle is manipulated by one, two, or more men at the handle end ofbar ll. I do not restrict myself to the means here shown for effectingthe longitudinal and lateral movement of the ladle-carrying bar, as thesame may be accomplished in a variety of ways, nor do I restrict myselfto the relative arrangement of the refining-chamber, bath, andcasting-table, as the same may be varied asv circumstances may require.The glass should be in condition for casting before being removed fromthe refining-compartment. If, however, its temperature is too high, itmay remain in the ladle until sufficiently cool.

The circular or concentric movement of the ladle in the refined glasscauses the same to iill with no perceptible agitation, and when thefilled ladle is lifted the glass remaining in the refining-chamberequalizes or assumes a uniform level without injurious results. Theoperation of filling the ladle is, in effect,

a concentric cutting or shearing of the glass,

the ladle-axis constantly in a horizontal plane, mechanism for raisingand lowering the horizontally-maintained ladle and means for limitingthe throw of said mechanism to a distance equal to the radius of theladle, substantially as shown and described.

2. Improved glass delivering apparatus, comprising a refining chamberhaving an opening, a ladle-support, a ladle on the support adapted torotate on a horizontal axis, a ladle-bath in line with thechamber-opening, means for maintaining the ladle-support constantly inhorizontal position, means for moving vertically the horizontallymaintained ladle-support, and mechanism for moving the support and ladleto position over the bath and from thence to discharging position,substantially as shown and described.

3. In improved glass-delivering mechanism, the combination with arefining-chamber provided with an opening, and a ladlebath exterior tothe refining-chamber, of a ladle, a rotatable ladle-support to which theladle is iixed, means for maintaining the ladle-support constantly inhorizontal position, means for vertically moving said support, andmechanism for transporting the ladle and its support from therefining-chamber to the bath, and from the latter to position fordischarging, substantially as shownl and described.

4. In improved glass-delivering apparatus, the combination with theladle-support and the ladle on the support, of two-power-cylindershaving their piston-rods secured to the support and sustaining the samein horizontal position, the piston-rods serving to move the support andladle vertically, substan tially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

wAsI-nNeroN D. KEYES.

Witnesses:

ALEX. S. MABON, J. M. NEsBIT.

